San Francisco girds for APEC Leaders Summit in November, President Marcos attending
PHILIPPINE CONSUL GENERAL Neil Ferrer meets the Philippine News Today team led by Alfred Gabot, editor in chief; Claire Morales True, managing editor; and columnist Art Madlaing and wife Virginia. The team handed a copy of the latest issue of Philippine News Today and two books written by Madlaing.
By CLAIRE MORALES TRUE, Managing Editor
(First of a Series)
SAN FRANCISCO – The Philippine Consulate in San Francisco, United States and Philippine officials in Manila are in a feverish preparations for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit here on November 12 to 18 to ensure the success of the event to be attended by presidents and prime ministers and other leaders of at least 21 countries, including Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
This was disclosed by Philippine Consul General Neil Ferrer during a call and interview by a Philippine News Today team composed of Alfred Gabot, editor in chief, columnist Art G. Madlaing and wife Virginia and this writer, Claire Morales True, managing editor, at the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco.
The interview which was scheduled for 10 minutes winded up more than an hour at the Carlos P. Romulo Hall of the Philippine Consulate as Congen Ferrer brought up the good news about the Filipinos and Filipino Americans in San Francisco and the Bay Area and what the consulate has accomplished and plans to accomplish.
ConGen Ferrer was joined by Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil and Consul Vanessa G. Bago-Llona during the interview where a copy of a Philipine News Today and two new books by Art Madlaing were handed to him.
ConGen Ferrer disclosed that he and his team have just attended an APEC pre-conference meeting in Seattle, Washington where then US President Bill Clinton hosted one of the first APEC Leaders Summit attended by then President Fidel V. Ramos.
At the Seattle pre-conference meeting plans and agenda were finalized for APEC 2023 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco which has for its theme “Sustainability, Inclusivity, Innovation and Resilience.” It was the last of pre-conference meetings held in the US for the APEC 2023.
ConGen Ferrer said the Philippine Consulate has just concluded meetings with US and Philippine officials in charge of the preparations and security of APEC 2023.
He added that officials from Malacanang are set to fly to San Francisco again to look into the final preparations this October.
ConGen Ferrer assured that the Philippine Consulate will be ready for President Marcos’ vital participation in the APEC 2023, adding that the Filipino community in the Bay Area which is “very active” is anticipating the staging of the vital conference in San Francisco.
(To be continued)
(Claire Morales True is managing editor of Philippine News Today. She was formerly assistant managing director of Health Frontiers serving multinational companies. A native of Lubao, Pampanga, she also served as public relations consultant to the then Pampanga Vice Governor Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, eldest son of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and lawyer Jose Miguel Arroyo. She can be reached at cmtpr1962@yahoo.com.ph)
